Course content

This course examines climate change as a political problem at the international, national, and local levels. The course focuses on the major theoretical explanations for why responding to such a serious problem (both in terms of mitigation and adaptation) is proving so difficult. The course also examines some of the suggested solutions and the challenges that these entail.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall:

• acquire basic knowledge about climate change and its potential socioeconomic consequences
• develop knowledge of major theoretical approaches used to understand the difficulties of dealing with climate change
• become familiar with key proposed solutions to climate change and the difficulties these may pose

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

• identify, understand, and to some degree apply, the key models and theories relating to the politics of climate change
• identify dilemmas and trade-offs embodied in the proposed solutions

Learning methods and activities

2 hours of lectures per week throughout the semester and some seminars focusing on the term paper. For valgbare emner i fordypningen i statsvitenskap gjelder følgende: Dersom færre enn 10 studenter deltar i undervisningen de to første undervisningsukene, blir undervisningen gitt som et veiledet lesekurs.

Compulsory assignments

• Term paper

Required previous knowledge

None

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the course.